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The Stygian River Cave in Southern California Indiana is home to a tiny species of spider. about. The tiny arachnids measure only two millimeters (about 0.07 inches) and belong to a genus of spiders called Islandiana commonly referred to as leaf weaver spiders.
As revealed by their nickname, these microscopic caterpillars – also known as dwarf spiders or silver spiders – weave flat, horizontal canvases.
The new discovery is attributed to Dr. Marc Milne, arachnologist at the University of Indianapolis in Indiana, who stated: ] Gizmodo what do the canvases of leaf weavers look like? .
"In the morning, when there is dew on the grass, and you see the small horizontal canvases, they are canvases."
the genus Islandiana was supposed to comprise only 14 species. The new spider species is now No. 15 on the list, and the first to be added to the group Islandiana in more than three decades, reports Science Daily . until then unknown spider species were hiding deep in the wet, muddy cavern near the Ohio River and were there unknown to everyone until Milne discovered it.
This is the fifth species of Islandiana found to dwell exclusively in caves and, until now, it appears to be endemic to this only cave in Indiana, since no one really knows if these spiders exist elsewhere in the world.
Out of the darkness: A new #spider found at the bottom of a cave of Indiana https://t.co/Bf6fonDx4j via @Pensoft described in the open access journal Subterranean Biology – should have called it: Underground
– Michael Gross (@michaelgrr) June 29, 2018
Described in a new study p published in the newspaper Subterranean Biology miniature creatures have slightly translucent bodies colored in a "dark yellow to beige" hue and sport black circles around their eyes
"These specimens were found largely Milne explained in his study, illustrated by Elizabeth Wells, a former student at the University of Indianapolis.
The scientist was initially warned of the presence of spiders inside the Stygian River cave by his fellow arachnologist, Dr. Julian Lewis. To reciprocate, Milne and Wells decide to name the new species of spider Islandiana lewisi "in honor of our friend and colleague."
Collected in October 2016, the Islandiana lewisi [19459006ThespecimensappearedasintriguingfromthebeginningMilne
"I did not know what the spider was in the beginning, I just thought that it was strange that so many people live in this dark cave without any other species of spider According to Science Daily the scientist had originally misidentified the new species of leaf weaver and this is only a few months later, after careful examination under the microscope, that he realized that he had discovered arachnid
New translucent spider discovered life in the muddy cave of Indiana https://t.co/inEaVyEM1t pic.twitter.com/Xv41458rTD
– Mustafa Mohsin (@MutafaMohsin05) June 30, 2018
Islandiana Lewisi is probably "harmless to humans" and probably attacked Collembola and other tiny arthropods.
Commenting on the new discovery, Milne tells Gizmodo that startling discoveries can be made anywhere on the planet, "When people think that new spiders are being discovered, they are thinking about the Amazon or ice under Antarctica. But even in our backyard, there are many new unknown organisms that we do not know much about. "
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